Hawaiian Airlines Named Fifth Best U.S. Airline for Service by Travel + Leisure Magazine

HONOLULU, July 14, 2003 -- Hawaiian Airlines has been rated as the nation's fifth best airline in terms of service, according to the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.

Travel + Leisure published the results of its seventh annual World's Best Service Readers' Survey 2003 in the June edition ranking the top domestic and international airlines, cruise lines, and hotels. The magazine noted that readers invariably agree that the single biggest factor for companies making the list is their people.

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and chief operating officer, credits the employees for the national ranking, noting that providing superior customer service through both personal contact and state-of-the-art technology is the company's top priority. He says the award validates Hawaiian's efforts as Hawaii's longest-serving airline to provide service befitting the destination renowned for its cultural traditions of hospitality.

“We're delighted to receive this honor as it reflects the high standards of professionalism that our employees strive for, especially since it conveys the opinion of the people who matter most in our business, that being our customers,” said Dunkerley. “Our employees are our greatest asset and the fact that every aspect of Hawaiian's flight operations is dedicated to not only meeting but exceeding the expectations of our customers is a tribute to the quality of service they bring to the job every day in their dealings with the traveling public.

“Hawaiian's commitment to making the travel experience as easy and pleasant as possible is also reflected in the technological upgrades and innovations that the company has introduced recently, including our new Web site and the Hele On automated self check-in terminals. All of these high-tech features are designed to provide customers with greater convenience and more benefits to choose from when making their travel plans.”

The top four domestic airlines ranked in order ahead of Hawaiian are Midwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Hawaiian is the only carrier serving Hawaii that made the list.

Founded in Honolulu 73 years ago, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's longest-serving and largest airline. The nation's 12th largest carrier, it is the second-largest provider of passenger service between the West Coast and Hawaii and offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more mainland U.S. gateways (nine) than any other airline. Hawaiian also provides approximately 100 daily jet flights among the six Hawaiian Islands, as well as weekly service to American Samoa and Tahiti.

The company takes pride in its innovative service programs that deliver on the promise, “Hawaii Starts Here.” In addition to being rated as the fifth best U.S. airline for service by Travel + Leisure, Hawaiian has earned numerous other honors for service in recent years, including the 2001 Zagat Survey's award for Best Overall U.S. Airline in the Premier category, and the 2001 Diamond Award for In-Flight Service from Onboard Services magazine.

Additional information on Hawaiian Airlines, including previously issued company news releases, is available on the airline's Web site at www.HawaiianAir.com.